The present invention is directed to a method and system for providing communication with a mobile station. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a method and system for transferring data from an Internet Protocol (IP) network to a mobile station on a non-IP network.
The demand for data communication capabilities continues to grow. Individuals seek more and more ways to access available data or to transmit data. An example of the continued growth of this industry is the explosion in communications over the Internet and in particular, the World Wide Web. Communications over this medium take place in what is commonly referred to as the HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Internet Protocol (IP). An example of data communication configurations which allow a user to interact with the Internet are shown in FIGS. 1A and B.
In FIG. 1A a user at, for example computer terminal, such as a PC 10, is connected via a modem 11 to a public switch telephone network (PSTN) 15. Somewhere in that PSTN resides an access provider 20. The access provider provides a datalink 25 to the Internet, here shown as HTTP NETWORK 30. Typically, software referred to as a “browser” is loaded on the computer 10 and permits data communication with other data sources located in the Network 30, an example of which is the Internet. Examples of such browsers include Netscape's Navigator and Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The computer 10 and the data resources in Network 30 communicate in an open language referred to as the hypertext mark-up language (HTML). While this configuration is very useful to the user, it has some limitations in that to be able to access information from the Internet the user must have a computer, such as a PC or laptop, for example, with them to be able to communicate with the Internet. Furthermore, it requires a wired connection to the PSTN to provide access to the Internet. This somewhat limits a user's ability to access the Internet.
FIG. 1B represents one proposed attempt at providing a wireless connection from a user to the Internet. In this circumstance the user has a wireless communication device 100 that communicates over the air with a base station 110. The base station is part of a wireless data network referred to as the cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network 120. A special server 130 acts as an interface between the HTTP Network 140 and the CDPD network. An example of the communication device 100 is the AT&T PocketNet phone. In the PocketNet configuration the phone transmits information via a wireless IP network, the CDPD. The server 130 includes a software platform created by Unwired Planet. The software platform uses an open language called the hand-held device mark-up language, or HDML, to interactively display information on a hand-held device such as the PocketNet phone. The PocketNet phone browser and server applications support HDML. To access information or transmit a message, the user manipulates the phone browser's menu-based user interface with the phone keypad. Requests for information are routed through the wireless IP network and the wire line Internet to be processed at the server on which the application resides. The browser then displays the results of the query. There is, however, one limitation in the PocketNet application, namely that the phone can only receive data or interact with the Internet when the phone is in a data-only mode since communications over the CDPD are strictly data communications. The PocketNet configuration does not permit interaction with the data network or receipt of data while in a voice mode or in an idle mode.
It would be advantageous if a network could provide data communications to a hand-held device whereby the communications could take place while the device is either in an idle mode or in a voice mode.
Another wireless communications protocol known as IS-136, TIA/EIA/IS-136.1-A October 1996; TIA/EIA/IS-136.2 October 1990, herein incorporated by reference, provides a cellular phone with the capability of receiving short messages while in an idle mode or in a voice mode. However, messages are generated by a message center which provides appropriately formatted data to comply with the IS-136 protocol. The hand-held device does not communicate with an Internet data communication network.